


Forever Family

by graspingforwords



Category: Druck | SKAM (Germany)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28040265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graspingforwords/pseuds/graspingforwords
Summary: Come along while David and Matteo navigate this thing called parenthood.
Relationships: Matteo Florenzi/David Schreibner
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	Forever Family

**Author's Note:**

> Good evening everyone! It’s like 11 PM where I am, and I finally finished this story that I started like 6 months ago. I lost motivation easily, and this was one of them that got lost in the wind, but I finished, and I want to share it with you all. I want to make this a 3 parter, so it isn’t complete, only the first part is.
> 
> Trigger warner:
> 
> David does talk about freezing eggs, and transitioning. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

~/~/~/~

Parenthood never seemed like an easy concept, but it didn’t seem like it was rocket science either. Of course everything came with it’s own set of challenges, but man David and Matteo had both seriously underestimated just how exhausting, and difficult it would be to be newborn parents.

Starting a family was something both Matteo and David knew they wanted. They knew they wanted to raise children together, and they knew they wanted everything that came with it, but some days Matteo just didn’t know how to be a good father. He felt like he barely knew what he was doing, and sometimes that scared the shit out of him. David didn’t feel the pressure as intensely as Matteo, but Matteo was a full time, stay at home dad, so he could only imagine how worn out he was by the end of every day. David remembers the day he told Laura all about their plans for starting a family. It was scary to think about, but even scarier telling someone their plans and making them real.

_**Two Years Ago** _

_David was having his normal lunch with Laura, but this time he was nervous. He was nervous to tell her that Matteo and him have started looking into potential surrogates to start having a family. Talking to Matteo about it was one thing, but talking to Laura about it was a whole other thing, and it was one that he was even more terrified of. He wanted her to be excited about it. About being an Aunt._

_“Okay, you are so fidgety today. Has Matteo finally rubbed off on you?” Laura joked, and David smiled._

_“I have something to tell you.” David said ominously._

_“Don’t tell me you’re getting a divorce. You’ve only been married for 3 years.” Laura said._

_“Why do you always assume we’re breaking up?” David laughed, knowing when he was telling her they got engaged she assumed they had broken up as well._

_“I don’t know. It just seems like something you’d be nervous to talk about.” Laura shrugged._

_“I am nervous, but also really excited.” David admits._

_“So what’s going on?” Laura asked._

_“Matteo and I have been talking for the last year or so about starting a family.” David said and Laura’s jaw dropped._

_“Holy shit. You two want to be parents?” Laura asked._

_“Yea. We think we’re ready. We’ve been together since we were in high school, and we’ve been married for a few years. I’m in a good position at my job that Matteo could be a stay at home dad and it wouldn’t cripple us financially. We’ve had so many conversation about this, and we really want it.” He explained._

_“Oh my god. You two have really thought about this, haven’t you?” Laura asked and David nodded with a fond smile on his face._

_“You know when I started transitioning, I was asked if I wanted to freeze my eggs in case I ever wanted to start a family?” David asked, and Laura nodded._

_“And you’re going to use them to have biological kids?” Laura asked and David nodded. “Is that why you’re so nervous?” She asked._

_“Kinda.” David admitted. “I don’t know. The thought of having kids who look like Matteo and I is crazy to think about. But it’s also exciting.”_

_“I can’t wait to see mini David’s running around here.” Laura smiled._

_“I’m kinda scared they’re going to look like how I did before I started transitioning, and it’ll make me I don’t know, resent them or something.” David admitted, it was one of his biggest fears._

_“But they could also look nothing like you, and completely look like Matteo.” Laura said honestly. “You don’t know what they’re going to look like. But if you’re really this nervous about it, you don’t have to use your eggs. You could use a donor egg.”_

_“I don’t want that.” David said quickly._

_“You want your kids to be yours and Matteo’s.” Laura said, and David nodded. “So you take that risk of not knowing, and you love them regardless.”_

_“I know I’m going to love them no matter what. It’s just scary to think about it.” David admitted._

_“Being a parent is always scary.” Laura said honestly. “But it can also be the greatest gift you’ve ever received, and I for one can’t wait to see you as a father. I know you’re going to be amazing. Matteo too.” Laura said and David smiled. It was the reassurance he needed to know this really was the right decision._

Naturally Laura was the first person David told when their surrogate was officially pregnant. She was also the first person they told when they found out they were having twins. To say they were shocked would be an understatement, and one of the biggest shocks of their life. Having one baby was nerve wracking enough, but adding another one into the mix was very shocking.

They didn’t tell their friends until the twins were nearly due. They knew keeping it a secret would create some waves within their group, but they did it for their own sanity. They needed the time to process, and they also just wanted the pregnancy to go smoothly so they didn’t have to back track with the news. Needless to say, the whole entire crew was floored when the news broke.

**_Three Months Ago_ **

_Today was the day David and Matteo finally decided to tell their friends that in a few short months they would be parents. Choosing to keep their friends in the dark about this monumental decision in their life was hard, but they knew they made the right choice. But today was the day, and they were slightly nervous about telling them all._

_“Hey, everyone!” Matteo said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Uh there is something David and I wanted to share with you all.” He said nervously, and David took his hand in his._

_“Yes, Matteo had I wanted to share some exciting news with you all.” David smiled. “In a few short months Matteo and I will be welcoming some new members into our family.” He said and the whole crew was silent._

_“You mean like a dog, right?” Jonas asked, he was the first one to break the silence._

_“No Jonas, like a child.” Matteo corrected. “Or two children.” He explained._

_“Holy shit.” Jonas said._

_“A few years ago Matteo and I started the process of looking for a surrogate to carry our biological children.” David explained._

_“How does that work?” It was Abdi that asked this time._

_“Before I started transitioning, and before I started taking my injections, I was asked if I wanted to freeze my eggs incase I wanted to have a family.” David explained to the group. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the chance to have a family of my own, but I didn’t want to rule it out either, so I went ahead and did it.” He said and they nodded. “So we finally found a surrogate, and about 5 months ago we got the good news that she was pregnant.”_

_“I know we kept you all in the dark about this.” Matteo jumped in. “But we didn’t want to jinx ourselves. We didn’t want anything to go wrong, and if something did, we wouldn’t be letting everyone down.” He said and Jonas shook his head._

_“Dude, we are so happy for you.” He said as he pulled Matteo into a hug. “But you said more than one, right?”_

_“We found out a few months into the pregnancy that she was actually pregnant with twins. We were shocked.” David explained._

_“Do you know the genders?” Hanna asked._

_“One boy, and one girl.” Matteo said and the girls all started squealing about how they were going to dress her. Being the first children in the group, they were both going to be spoiled._

_“Dude, this is amazing.” Jonas said again. Matteo and David couldn’t help but smile, as they watched all their friends gush about how cute of a family they would be. They couldn’t wait until the twins got here to experience it all._

Matteo wasn’t prepared for the exhaustion. The twins were one month old, and he felt like he slept for an hour a night every single night. Matteo was used to lack of sleep, but this was on a whole other level. If it wasn’t Micah who was crying, it was Della, and if it wasn’t just Della, it was both of them, and Matteo just wanted to put earplugs in and ignore them, but he knew he couldn’t.

David had been gone all week for work. It sucked that he couldn’t take more time off, but they knew this was going to happen when he went back to work but taking care of two kids alone was harder than Matteo anticipated, and he could use a good long nights sleep, hell a long nap and he would be good. The twins just went back to sleep and Matteo had plopped on his bed about to pass out when his phone started ringing. He was about to ignore it until he saw it was David.

“Hello?” He asked once he answered.

“Hey, you’re awake.” David said.

“If you didn’t think I would be, what was the purpose of calling?” Matteo laughed.

“I was just going to leave you a voicemail to wake up too.” David admitted. “Why are you awake?”

“Della wouldn’t stop crying.” Matteo explained. “Naturally once I got her back to bed, Micah started to fuss. He took almost an hour to get back to sleep.”

“I’m sorry babe.” David said. “I’ll be home tomorrow around dinner time, and you can have the entire night off.”

“That’s earlier than I expected.” Matteo said honestly.

“Yea. I told them I couldn’t stay any longer. That I had two fresh babies at home and a husband who needed a break.” David laughed. “Thankfully I work with a lot of woman who are very sympathetic to newborns, and it worked in my favor.”

“I’m not complaining.” Matteo said to him. “Laura is coming over tomorrow, so she’s going to take the twins out to meet up with my mom. They both wanted to give me a break. I’m going to clean the shit out of this place when they’re gone.” He admitted and David laughed.

“Sounds like a fun time.” David said.

“It’s been on the back burner the whole week.” Matteo admitted. “I’m surprised the twins didn’t run out of clothes. They’ve literally gone through their entire wardrobe this week.” Matteo said and David laughed. “I’m not kidding David. Della has thrown up on all of her clothes, and I had to resort to putting her in Micah’s.” He said and that just made David laugh even harder. “Great, laugh at my pain.”

“It’s cute.” David told him once he calmed down. “They probably really looked like twins than.”

“I’m not going to lie, I mixed them up once, and only noticed when I went to give them baths.” Matteo admitted, and David laughed.

“I can’t wait to be home.” David finally said.

“I can’t wait for you to be home either.” Matteo agreed. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too babe.” David said. It was quiet for a moment before Matteo heard Della cry.

“I should get her.” Matteo said.

“I’ll let you go. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” David said.

“Yea, I love you.” Matteo said.

“i love you too.” David smiled. Once they said their goodbyes Matteo went into the grab Della. He could wait for David to be home.

~/~/~/~

Laura picked the twins up at 9 am sharp, and Matteo started to deep clean the entire flat. Cleaning was one of the worst chores in his book, but he needed to do this, so he forced himself to do and fold the laundry. Unload the dish washer, and reload it, twice. Clean up all the toys, and organize the living room so he didn’t trip over every baby contraption that they had. By the time it was dark out, Matteo was exhausted and passed out on the couch. Sleep consumed him quickly.

David made his way home as quickly as he could, and when he opened the door to his flat, he was welcomed home by utter silence. He dropped his keys, jacket and shoes at the door as he made his way into the flat to see Matteo passed out on the couch. David couldn’t help but smile as he made his way over to him. He leaned down to press a kiss to his forehead only to cause him to stir and wake up.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” David said quietly.

“It’s fine.” Matteo muttered as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. “What time is it?” He asked as he sat up.

“18:30.” David said. “Have you eaten anything today?”

“Didn’t have time. I was cleaning all day, and after doing the dishes, I didn’t want to dirty another one.” Matteo admitted and David smiled.

“Do you want to order out?” David asked.

“Sure.” Matteo agreed.

“Okay. You can go back to sleep, and I’ll order. I’ll let you know what it’s here.” David said and Matteo nodded before he laid back down on the couch.

“Love you.” Matteo mumbled and David laughed.

“Love you too.” He said but Matteo was already asleep. He grabbed his phone and ordered from their favorite place. Happy to be home with Matteo, and he couldn’t wait to snuggle his babies.

~/~/~/~

Matteo was passed out when Laura returned the twins home. They ate dinner and Matteo immediately called it a night. David understood. He could see the exhaustion in his husbands eyes, and knew that all he needed was a good nights sleep.

“You two really have the best babies in the world.” Laura said as she set the two sleeping babies down in the carriers.

“I think Matteo would disagree completely about that.” David laughed, but looking at his sweet little babies faces, he had to agree with Laura.

“He’s with them 24/7, of course he doesn’t agree.” Laura smiled. “They were very well behaved today, although I think they missed Matteo a little. They were kind of unsettled for about an hour or so when I first picked them up.” He explained.

“Like you said, he is with them 24/7. They know him. They know when he isn’t there.” David said honestly.

“They’re the best though.” Laura smiled fondly at the twins. “Best little babies I know.”

“They are pretty great, aren’t they?” David agreed.

“Those two are going to be as thick as thieves when they grow up. You gotta watch out for that.” Laura said honestly.

“Oh, we know.” David smiled. “Matteo already thinks they’re plotting against him.”

“I hope you don’t mind, but I bought Della some more outfits today. When I picked them up, she was wearing one of Micah’s onesies.” Laura said and David laughed.

“Yea, apparently she ran out of clothes.” David smiled, remembering Matteo telling him that. “Matteo did all their laundry today, so they should be good now.”

“You lucked out with him.” Laura said more sincerely. “I could never imagine giving up my career to be a stay at home mom.”

“I think I lucked out too.” David agreed. “And we talked about it in length. Matteo had no problem giving up his job to take care of the kids. In fact, he wasn’t happy with his job in the first place, so leaving wasn’t really that hard. He was just worried about everything else. Money, parenthood. He was scared he was going to be a shitty dad, but he’s honestly such a natural with these two, it blows my mind sometimes.” Laura smiled and nodded at her brother.

“Okay, well I’m exhausted, so I’m going to head home. Give Matteo a hug for me, and maybe sometimes this week we can grab lunch. I miss you.” Laura said as she gave him a hug.

“Definitely. I miss you too.” David said back. They said their goodbyes, and than it was just David and the sleeping twins. Since they were already knocked out, he transported them one by one into their crib, and was pretty happy that he successfully got them there without waking them up.

Once they were in bed, David went and joined Matteo in bed. He was dead asleep, but when David got in bed, Matteo naturally moved closer to him. He was almost asleep, when he heard the sounds of a baby crying. He heard Matteo groan, and start to sit up when David pushed him back. Matteo didn’t put up much of a fight. He walked over to the nursery, and quickly scooped Della into his arms. David was exhausted, but there is no place he’d rather be than right here at this moment.

~/~/~/~

Matteo woke up the next day, later than he had in weeks, and finally feeling like he got a good nights sleep. It was amazing what more than a couple hours of sleep did to someone, but he felt like a new person. When he fully rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he realized that he was alone in bed. He grabbed a hoodie, threw it on and made his way out of his bedroom. When he made he way into he kitchen, he saw David making breakfast with the twins bouncing happily in their little chairs.

“Good morning.” Matteo said and David turned around and smiled at him.

“Morning. How did you sleep?” David asked happily.

“Like a rock.” Matteo said honestly as he gave David a kiss. “Thank you for taking the night shift.”

“You’ve been doing doubles for a week. It’s the least I could do.” David said fondly.

“How are you so awake right now? I know for a fact Della wakes up like 6 times a night.” Matteo said and David laughed.

“I may or may not be on my 4th cup of coffee.” David admitted. “It’s fine though. I’ve been doing so many night shoots lately that I’m kinda used to being awake all night.” He waved Matteo off.

“Well, I’ll take the night shift tonight.” Matteo said.

“No. I’m taking more of the night shifts until I have to leave again.” David said firmly.

“But - “

“No buts Teo.” David said as he made his way over to him. “You do so much for this family. Let me do this.”

“Okay.” Matteo nodded and David gave him a sweet kiss. “But you do a lot for this family too. Don’t forget that.” He added and David smiled. Micah started getting a little fussy, so Matteo picked him up and he immediately calmed down. David couldn’t get the fond smile off his face looking at Matteo and their little boy. It was still so surreal to him that this was his life, and that they had two kids. David doesn’t ever think it’ll feel completely real.

~/~/~/~

The twins were 6 months old today, and David was so sad that he wasn’t home celebrating with Matteo and them. Matteo had told him they weren’t celebrating 6 months, that they were having a party for the 1st birthday. Still, David wished he was at home.

They had a free day, and David was going to spend the majority of it exploring the city, and picking up some gifts for the twins. Just because Matteo said they weren’t celebrating it, doesn’t mean David isn’t going to buy them presents. Six months was huge, and David was going to do something special for it.

“Hey David!” He heard from behind him, and when he turned around there stood two women who worked on set with him. Leonie who was an executive producer, and Sara who was a costume director. They were pretty chill to work with. David enjoyed them. “Are you headed into the city?”

“Yea. I’m going to look for gifts for my twins.” David said happily.

“Any special occasion?” Sara asked.

“They’re 6 months today!” David said with pride, and the two girls smiled so wide.

“Oh my god! They’re that old already?” Sara beamed.

“Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are.” David smiled.

“Do you have a picture of them?” Leonie asked. David nodded enthusiastically and grabbed his phone to show the most recent picture Matteo had sent him and showed it to the girls. ”Oh my god, they are adorable.”

“What are their names again?” Sara asked.

“Della, and Micah.” David said.

“She is so precious.” Sara said as she zoomed in on Della.

“Yea. She looks exactly like Matteo. It’s weird.” David laughed.

“Is that a bad thing?” Sara laughed.

“Not at all. She has his blonde hair and his blue eyes.” David smiled. “The only thing she got from me were my curls.” He said and they nodded. “Micah on the other hand got my dark hair and dark eyes. They don’t even look like twins anymore.” He laughed.

“At least you guys have one that looks like each of you.” Leonie pointed out. “I always thought it would be weird if children didn’t look like their parents.”

“I don’t look like my parents at all.” David admitted. “Sometimes people thought I was adopted.”

“Really?” Sara asked, a little shocked.

“Maybe it was different when I was really young, but after I started transitioning, I might as well not of been part of the family.” David explained. He was very open and honest with his journey in life. Something he never thought he’d be so confident and proud of, but he had no shame in talking about his life, and how he got to where he is now anymore. He was proud, and he never wanted to shy away from it again. “Maybe that’s why it was so easy for my parents to kick me out.” He shrugged.

“Were you ever worried?” Sara asked. “About parenthood?”

“Of course. I was freaking out the entire time our surrogate was pregnant. We didn’t tell our friends until the twins were nearly born.” David told them honestly. “Matteo and I didn’t want to jinx anything. We both had terrible childhoods, and didn’t want anything to go wrong.”

“And now? Are you still worried?” Leonie asked.

“Not so much anymore.” David said. “I mean, I have my sister, and Matteo and his mama have a good relationship now. She’s way more present in the twins life than she ever was in his, but she trying, and that’s all Matteo ever wanted from her.” He explained. “Honestly, parenthood is hard. But it’s also one of the most fulfilling roles I’ve ever had in life, and I couldn’t imagine life without those two.”

“And Matteo.” Sara added and David laughed.

“He’s a given. I don’t know what I’d do without him. I mean, he’s honestly the glue that keeps our family together. Without him, our twins would be raised by nanny’s or passed around from family member, to friend just so we could work.” David explained. “He brushes it off like it’s nothing, but him giving up his job, and committing to being a full time stay at home dad was one of the most selfless things he’s ever done, and I don’t even know how to start repaying him for that sacrifice.”

“Do you think he views it as a sacrifice?” Sara asked.

“Probably not.” David laughed. “He hated his job, but he’s never been good without a schedule. He needs structure in his life or he just loses track and before he knows it Monday becomes Thursday, and the week is over.” David explained. “But I know those two wear him out way more than he’ll ever admit, but he’s so good at it. Those two adore him.”

“Well, maybe you should get him a gift as well!” Leonie stated. “We’ll be going home next week, and I’m sure everyone buys the twins gifts, but how many gifts does Matteo get?” She asked, and David genuinely thought about it, and couldn’t even think of when Matteo got a gift. “If you have to think that hard about it, he’s clearly not getting enough gifts. Come.” She said as she linked their arms and she started pulling him towards the direction of the city. David couldn’t help but laugh as he followed behind her.

~/~/~/~

Matteo was absolutely exhausted, and he did the only thing he could think of. He called Laura. He needed two hours of sleep. Just two uninterrupted hours of sleep and he would be fine. But Della doesn’t want to stop fussing for more than 2 minutes, and Micah can sense she’s unsettled, so he starts fussing, and Matteo just doesn’t know what else he can do to sooth them, and he’s running on fumes. When he heard the buzzer, he practically ran to the door.

“Hey, wow.” Laura stopped. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks. I tried really hard this morning.” Matteo deadpanned.

“Well, what do you need from me?” Laura asked.

“I just need two hours of sleep. That’s all I need without any interruptions.” Matteo pleaded.

“When was the last time you slept through the night?” Laura asked.

“Since before they were born, and no I’m not exaggerating.” He added when he saw Laura open her mouth to protest.

“So go take 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep, and I’ll take care of these two.” Laura smiled, knowing how hard Matteo works to make sure these two are taken care of on such a precious and loving level.

“I don’t need 4 hours. 2 will be just fine.” Matteo protested, but Laura put her hands on his shoulders and gave him a little shake.

“Four hours Matteo, and if I see you leave that bedroom before 4 hours is up, I’m grounding you.” Laura threatened.

“You can’t ground me in my own home.” Matteo countered and she just stared at him. “Okay, 4 hours.” He gave in and she smiled. “But if there is an emergency, please come get me.”

“I visit these little guys multiple times a week. I think we’ll be good.” Laura said and Matteo nodded. He went over and gave both the kids a kiss before he went into his bedroom. He didn’t even get changed, he just plopped himself on the bed, and he was asleep in seconds.

~/~/~/~

It had been a long month. David and Matteo had FaceTimed every single night, but that just didn’t compare to having David at home. Matteo missed him, but understood that was part of his job, and he knew that from the beginning. David was fulfilling his dreams, and Matteo loved that. He loved seeing David light up at the mention of his project, and when a project got picked up. All Matteo ever wanted was for David to be happy, and he was, so Matteo hated the distance, but also loved every minute of how happy David had been.

The twins were down for their mid morning nap. If they didn’t get at least 2 a day, they were the most miserable babies in the world, and Matteo just didn’t want to deal with that. If it meant they had a later bedtime, so be it. As long as they were happy, that’s all that mattered to him. Matteo was in the middle of cleaning up the living room when his phone started ringing. He was about to just let it go to voicemail, but when he saw it was his father, he figured it must be important.

“Hello?” Matteo answered.

“Matteo, how are you?” His father said.

“I’m okay. How are you?” Matteo asked, being polite.

“I’m doing alright.” He said. “Look Matteo, Nonno isn’t doing very well.” He admitted and Matteo took a seat.

“What do you mean?” Matteo asked, worried.

“He’s been battling some health issues lately, and unfortunately there isn’t much else they can do for him.” He explained, and Matteo’s heart broke a little. “They’ve given him a few weeks, but we don’t see him lasting much longer.” He admitted. “I think it would be nice if you came to say your goodbyes.”

“Yea. Okay.” Matteo agreed. “I’ll get everything settled with the twins, and be there as soon as possible.”

“Sounds like a plan.” His father said.

“Thanks for calling, and I’m sorry dad.” Matteo said sincerely.

“Thank you. I guess I’ll see you soon.” His said, and with that they hung up. Matteo sank into the couch and thought about what he should do. He was never the closest with his Nonno, mostly being with his Nonna, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have good memories of him as a boy.

~/~/~/~

David was exhausted. He just got off a 14 hour shoot, and he was ready to hit the bed and sleep for 10 hours straight. When he got back to his room, he got right in the shower. He was going to text Matteo and tell him he was so tired that he was going to go to bed and they would FaceTime tomorrow. But when he got back to his phone he had a message from Matteo.

_**From Matteo :** _

_Hey, when you have a minute, can you give me a call?_

Feeling slightly worried about the ominous text, he called Matteo immediately.

“Hey.” Matteo answered tiredly.

“Hey, everything okay?” David asked concerned.

“Not really. My dad called earlier today.” Matteo expressed.

“What did he want?” David asked, worried it was a mean phone call.

“He called to let me know that my Nonno wasn’t going to last much longer and I should go see him to say my goodbyes.” Matteo explained.

“I’m sorry Teo.” David said sadly. He knew his grandparents meant a lot to him, even if he spent the majority of his time with his Nonna.

“So I’m gonna ask Laura to come watch the twins until you get home so I can go there to see him. Hopefully I won’t be gone longer than a few days, but my dad is right, I should go say goodbye.” Matteo explained, but David wasn’t happy with the plan.

“Absolutely not.” David said abruptly.

“What do you mean? Laura spends so much time with the twins. She can handle them for a few days. You are coming home later this week, right?” Matteo asked, clearly confused.

“You know I have no problem with Laura watching them, but what I mean is, I’m going to be home tomorrow, and we’re going to Italy as a family.” David corrected.

“Why? You know my dad has never been supportive about my life choices, and he’ll be miserable to be around.” Matteo pointed out.

“Yes, but I think your Nonno should get to meet his grandchildren before he passes.” David said honestly. “I don’t care how passive aggressive your father is while we’re there, I think it’ll do you Nonno some good to see them, and it might help your Nonna as well.”

“I guess you’re right.” Matteo said and David laughed.

“Of course I’m right.” David said and Matteo snorted. “So I’ll be home tomorrow mid morning, and we’ll leave later tomorrow night?” He asked.

“Sounds good. Gives me time to pack for the kids.” Matteo said.

“Okay, I’ll book everything. I’m actually going to head to bed right now. I’m exhausted, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” David said.

“Yea. Of course.” Matteo said fondly. “I love you.”

“I love you too Teo.” David said and they said their good nights. David spent about 20 minutes getting everything ready for their trip to Italy tomorrow and than he passed out.

~/~/~/~

Matteo had been running around all morning trying to pack for the kids, and himself, and making sure they were content. Della had been a little fussy today, but they were being pretty good. He was just waiting for David to be home so he could see him again. It sucks that these are the circumstances that had to bring him home a little earlier than anticipated, but he was excited regardless to see him.

Matteo had finally finished packing for the twins when he heard the front door of their flat open. He heard David dropping his keys, his coat, his bag on the ground in the hallway before he saw him round the corner into the living room. Every time Matteo saw David it was like he was seeing him for the first time all over again. Every time he was gone, the minute he got back, Matteo just couldn’t believe he got to spend his whole life with that man.

“You gonna stare all day, or what?” David asked with a smirk, and Matteo rolled his eyes and finished zipping up the suitcase. “I’m just kidding.” David said as he wrapped his arms around Matteo waist. “I missed you.” He mumbled into his shoulder.

“I missed you too.” Matteo admitted. He twisted himself around so that they were now hugging. “How was the drive back?”

“Uneventful.” David said. “I called Laura to let her know what was going on. She’s sorry about your Nonno.” Matteo nodded. “Did you tell your father?”

“Yea. I called him after we hung up yesterday.” Matteo admitted as he took a seat on the couch. “He wasn’t very enthusiastic about the plan, but there isn’t much he can do about it. It’s not like we’re staying with him, or anything, and he can’t forbid us from going to Italy.” He shrugged.

“I wish he was just a little more open minded.” David admitted. “I feel like I’m walking on fire every time I’m around him.” He said as he remembered the handful of moments they had been in the same space.

“I’m sorry you feel that way.” Matteo said honestly. “If it makes you feel any better he would probably be the same way if I married a woman. We’ve always had this weird and estranged relationship.” Matteo admitted.

“That makes me feel so much better.” David deadpanned and Matteo sighed. “I just wish my father-in-law didn’t treat me like an outcast. That’s all.” He added.

“At least you know your in-laws. I’ve never met mine.” Matteo pointed out and now it was David’s time to roll his eyes.

“You wouldn’t like them.” David said. “Too pretentious and snobby for your taste.”

“I have a taste now?” Matteo laughed.

“Yea. Homey. Warm. Safe.” David rattled off, and Matteo couldn’t help but blush with the compliments. “I honestly think if you were to ever step foot into my childhood home, you’d have a panic attack, and I’m not even saying that lightly.” David said and Matteo knew that he meant it.

“Maybe one day we can all get together and have one big awkward family reunion.” Matteo said and David laughed.

“Let’s wait until the kids are at least 18 before that.” David said and Matteo smiled. ”Alright, so I booked the flights for 6 before I knew you’d rather it later but not too late because of the kids.”

“Sounds good. I still need to pack myself.” Matteo admitted and David laughed.

“How about I go out and grab some lunch while you pack?” David offered.

“Can you get pizza? I’ve been craving it lately.” Matteo said and David nodded. He gave him a quick kiss before grabbing his jacket and heading off to grab lunch.

~/~/~/~

The plane ride to Italy was uneventful. Della and Micah were actually pretty good and slept the majority of the way, which was fantastic since neither Matteo nor David knew how they would be on the flight. They woke up briefly when they landed, and were asleep the minute Matteo strapped them into the car.

They arrived at their hotel, and Matteo was exhausted. He had barely gotten any sleep the night before, and traveling always wore him out. So when they got to the hotel, David told him to grab a hot shower and go to sleep. He would stay up with Della while she calmed down, and than he would be in bed.

Matteo agreed pretty quickly, and David settled into the chair on the balcony of their hotel room and started sketching. He’s only been to Italy a handful of times, and he absolutely loved sketching the landscape. It was beautiful all year around, and David loved it. Della was in her little playpen chewing on some toy and David could see her eyelids start to droop. he knew she would be asleep in no time, which meant he could cuddle up behind Matteo and fall into a deep sleep. Although the circumstances of being on this short notice family vacation was sad, David was happy to be here with Matteo and the twins.

~/~/~/~

Matteo woke up the next morning feeling more well rested than he has in days. He knows it’s because David took the night shift with the twins. It wasn’t too terrible last night. Traveling wore them out more than it did Matteo, so they almost slept through the whole night, which was nice.

Matteo got out of bed and made his way into the little kitchenette that was in the hotel room and David had brewed a pot of coffee. He poured himself a cup and joined David out on the balcony. The baby monitor plugged in beside him.

“They’re still asleep?” Matteo asked as he took a seat.

“Yea. I’m just as surprised. I guess traveling really got to them.” David explained.

“I’m not complaining.” Matteo said and David smiled. “Thank you for taking care of them last night.”

“You know I’m always going to take as much responsibility as I can when I’m home. You do it 95% of the time. I’m happy to take the other 5%.” David smiled.

“I know. That’s why I love you.” Matteo said. David leaned over and Matteo happily gave him a sweet good morning kiss.

“So, what’s the plan today?” David asked.

“I figured we’d just go see my Nonno. According to my dad since he isn’t going to last much longer, they brought him home. He didn’t want to die in a hospital.” Matteo explained.

“I can understand that.” David agreed. “When do you want to head over?”

“After the twins wake up. I’m in no rush.” Matteo said and David laughed.

“I know you aren’t.” David said, knowing seeing his family was one of the last things he wanted to do simply for his father. But they would make this work, they always did.

~/~/~/~

They arrived at Matteo’s grandparents home a little after noon. Even with two of them it took longer than necessary to get the twins ready to leave the hotel. They were in relatively good moods today, so that was a bonus.

Matteo hadn’t mentioned how grand his grandparents house really was. He knew they were well off, but he didn’t expect to drive up to a mansion.

“Holy shit Teo.” David said when he saw the drive way. “Why didn’t you tell me they were rich?”

“Didn’t think it would be important.” Matteo shrugged.

“No important? I feel underdressed.” David admitted, and Matteo laughed.

“They aren’t fancy. They might be rich, but they aren’t the kind of people who dress in suits and corsets just for fun.” Matteo told him honestly. “It might be a big home, but it’s actually very well lived in.”

“I just don’t want to make a bad first impression.” David told him honestly.

“I know, but we aren’t here for pleasure, we’re here to say goodbye to my Nonno, so the last thing everyone is going to be worrying about is how we’re dressed.” Matteo said truthfully.

“Right.” David said because he knew that. He knew why they were here, and David knew how he was dressed didn’t matter. Matteo parked the car in front of the house and shout the engine off.

“You ready?” He asked.

“Of course.” David said, but neither boy was truly ready. This could go either way.

The two boys got out of the car and both grabbed a kid. Matteo grabbed Della who was kind of asleep and David grabbed Micah who was taking in his surroundings. He was very interested in everything around him, and David didn’t blame him. Italy was a beautiful place. David grabbed their baby bag and they made their way to the front door where Matteo hit the button, a few moments later it opened and revealed his father.

“Matteo.” He said flatly. “And I see you brought the family.” He said as his eyes glanced over everyone else.

“David and I thought it would be nice for Della and Micah to meet Nonno before he passed.” Matteo simply said.

“Very well. I’ll have Alfred bring your things to your room.” He said and Matteo nodded. They might not be staying here but it would be nice to have a room where Della or Micah could nap during the day.

“You have a butler?” David whispered to Matteo.

“No, they do.” Matteo said sarcastically and David rolled his eyes.

“Your things will be in your old room Matteo.” His father said after the bags were loaded.

“Thank you.” Matteo said simply.

“Your Nonno and Nonna are in the garden room. Tia Maria is there as well.” He said before nodding off to another hallway.

“You ready?” Matteo asked and David simply nodded.

Matteo lead him through the house and David and Micah were taking it all in. This place was magnificent and he wanted to sketch it the minute he had the chance. They finally got to the garden room, and there sat three figures. They were engaged in short whispers, David didn’t want to intrude.

“I’ll be right back.” Matteo whispered to David.

“What me to take Della?” David asked.

“No. She’s okay. I don’t want to wake her.” Matteo admitted and David nodded. Never wake a sleeping baby. That’s what Mama had always told him. David stood back and watched as Matteo approached, hoping it went well.

Matteo was hesitant to interrupt their conversation. He knew they wouldn’t mind, his Nonna never did, but he still felt a little out of place here. He hasn’t been here in a long time, and it was a little odd.

“Nonna?” Matteo said softly. The older woman turned around once she heard her name as gasped at the sight.

“Ciao my baby.” She said softly as she stood up. “And your baby.”

“Yea. She’s been sleeping the whole morning. I think traveling really wore her out.” Matteo smiled fondly at his daughter.

“What’s her name?” his Nonna asked.

“This is Della.” Matteo smiled. “And David has Micah.” He said as he gestured behind him.

“Sweet little Della.” Nonna said admiring the sweet little one in Matteo’s arms.

“I couldn’t think of a better person to name her after than the woman who practically raised me.” Matteo said honestly, and his Nonna could have cried.

“I’m honored.” She said fondly. Nonna looked behind him and David gave a small wave. She smiled at him and gestured for him to join. He walked over with a very happy Micah in his arms. “They are absolutely precious Matteo.” Nonna said fondly. “How old are they now?”

“Almost 8 months.” Matteo said.

“I’m so happy I finally get to meet my grand babies.” Nonna smiled.

“I’m your grand baby.” Matteo said teasingly and she smiled.

“You know what I meant.” She said and Matteo nodded. “And I finally get to meet this husband of yours.”

“I’m sorry it took so long.” David said politely.

“Don’t be absurd. I know why it did.” She said as she played with Micah’s fingers. “Anyway, I’m happy you’re here. Nonno was asking about you the other week.”

“Really?” Matteo asked shocked.

“He is losing chucks of memory, but he remembers you as the boy who always came during summer.” Nonna explained. “He said he remembers them being amazing summers.”

“Yea. Me too.” Matteo smiled. “David and I wanted to bring the kids so Nonno could meet them at least once.”

“That is very sweet my dear.” Nonna said happily. “Come.” She said and they moved towards where Nonno and Tia Maria were sitting. When they got closer, his aunt looked up with a fond smile on her face.

“Matteo, it’s so good to see you.” She said as he pulled him into a light hug, gently so she didn’t wake Della.

“It’s good to see you Tia Maria.” Matteo said back nicely. “This is my husband David, and our kids, Della and Micah.” He introduced.

“It’s lovely to meet you all.” She said nicely.

“You as well.” David said. Micah just giggled.

“How long are you staying for?” She asked the boys.

“At least a couple days. Maybe a week.” David explained.

“I’ll have to let Lorenzo know. He will be thrilled that you’re here.” Tia Maria said. Lorenzo and Matteo were close growing up. He was happy to be able to see him again. “Come, I know Nonno would love to see you.” They made their way over to him, and Matteo noticed he looked the same, just older, a little more frail that the man he used to know.

“Nonno?” Matteo said as he got closer to his grandfather, the old man looked up, and stared at Matteo. No recollection in them at all, until he smiled.

“Patatino.” He whispered and Matteo smiled.

“Caio Nonno.” Matteo said, taken back by the nickname everyone called him for so long.

“You’ve grown so much.” His grandfather said in Italian. “And you have a baby.”

“I have 2 babies.” Matteo said as he glanced towards David. “And a husband.”

“You finally settled down?” He asked and Matteo nodded. “I’m so happy for you patatino.” He smiled. It was a indescribable feeling to know his family embraced him and his life decisions. His father might be a unforgiving asshole, but his family, the ones who mattered to him, they would never turn their back on him, and that’s what truly mattered to him. “Bring him here.” He said and Matteo gestured for David to join him. He made his way over and took a seat next to Matteo and situated Micah on his lap.

“Nonno, this is my husband David, and our children, Della and Micah.” Matteo introduced.

“Topolina.” He said as he gently brushed the blonde curls out of Della’s eyes. The movement made her stir slightly, but Matteo figured it might be time for her to wake up anyway. She opened her eyes and looked around with confusion. Her eyes landed on Matteo’s grandfather, and it was like she found a piece of herself. She reached for him, and Matteo gladly gave her to his Nonno. He was whispering sweet Italian endearments into her ear, and Della sat there completely content in his arms.

“I‘ve never seen her warm up to someone that fast.” David whispered to Matteo.

“Sometimes people are kindred spirits. Maybe Nonno and Della are.” Matteo said and David smiled.

“Matteo.” He heard his Nonna say from behind him. “Do you mind if I hold my sweet little grand baby?” She asked as she looked at Micah.

“Of course.” Matteo said. “Nonna wants to hold Micah.” He told David and he nodded before handing him up to the sweet old woman. Micah was generally really calm around anyone, so as she bounced him around their garden room, he was happy as can be.

They spent the afternoon in the garden room letting Matteo’s grandparents play with the kids. Matteo and David sat back letting them have as much time as they could soak up of the kids. It was even more perfect than either David or Matteo could have ever imagined, but a heaviness was all around them. Knowing this was the first and last time their kids would ever see his grandfather. It was bittersweet, but a memory they’ll always have.

~/~/~/~

“I just don’t understand why you don’t want to have a huge party for them.” Laura said one night while she went over to have dinner with Matteo. David was currently working late, but Matteo didn’t mind since he was still in the same country as him.

“They’re turning 1 Laura, they’ll never remember it.” Matteo tried to reason with her.

“Pictures exists for a reason. And it’s more of a family party anyway. Sure, it’s exciting that they’ll be one, but it’s also a celebration of the first year of parenthood in the books.” Laura tried to explain.

“We’re having a small party, with mama, and friends. That’s all we really need anyway.” Matteo told her.

“Ugh, you and David are no fun.” Laura huffed.

“I promise, you can throw them a huge 10th birthday or something.” Matteo said.

“Nothing is exciting about 10, but 16 on the other hand.” Laura smiled.

“Fine, you can throw them their 16th birthday party, but it’s all you. Financially as well. I’m not paying for a limo.” Matteo said and Laura just laughed.

“I can’t wait to spoil them rotten for the rest of their lives.” Laura said and Matteo smiled. He just couldn’t wait to love them for the rest of their lives. The first year had been challenging but so much more rewarding than Matteo could have ever imagined.

~/~/~/~

David had made sure that he had off the weekend of the twins first birthday party. It also happened to be the weekend of their birthday, and there was no way in hell he was missing his kids first birthday. He didn’t care how big of a movie he was working in, it could wait for this.

All their close friends, and family were all at Mama’s house. She had way more space than David and Matteo did, and she was more than happy to host for her grand babies birthday. It was completely low key. Some people brought gifts, but they weren’t necessary, and Matteo and Mama had made so much food that everyone was going home with a goodie bag of leftovers. It was absolutely perfect, and David couldn’t imagine it going any other way.

They were all sitting around the living room chatting, laughing, and just enjoying each other’s company, since it took a lot of effort for them all to gather as group these days. Matteo was on the couch talking to Jonas about the latest protest he was organizing, while Micah sat in his lap and listened. Laura and David sat on the couch opposite of them while Della sat on the gourd first near the TV playing with blocks.

“It’s so odd how different they are.” Laura said from beside him.

“I know. Della is such a ball of energy, and Micah could careless about it.” David laughed.

“It’s kinda funny though. That the kid that looks like you, has the total opposite personality.” Laura said and David smiled. He never thought about it like that before. But as he looked at Della, and her bouncing blonde curls, and her bright blue eyes, he can’t help but laugh.

“I never even thought about that.” David admits, and Laura smiles. Della clumsily gets up to her feet and walks a blue block over to David.

“Dada.” She squeals, and David’s smile just gets wider. She’s been babbling a lot more recently, and very adamant about walking, although she still falls a lot.

“Thank you sweetheart.” David said to her and she beams at him. She makes little grabby hands to him, and he can’t help but obligate and pick her up. She curls into his lap and before he knows it, she’s climbing out and making her way back to her blocks.

“You are so important.” Laura said and David laughed.

“Babies have one track minds.” David argued.

“Micah seems to be enjoying his chill time just fine.” Laura pointed out and David looked over at Matteo. He smiled as he watched Micah sit quietly on Matteo’s lap, head resting on his chest, and just listened to what they were saying. Although he knew Micah knew nothing of what they were saying, he was happy sitting in his fathers lap and being there. So much like Matteo.

“Della will enjoy hers as well. Once she crashes.” David said and Laura laughed.

The sound caught Matteo’s attention who looked over and caught David’s eye. He smiled at his husband and gave him a quick wink before turning back to Jonas and continue their conversation. Even after all these years, David still blushed at those subtle moments. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to them, and he was okay with that. He was broken out of his thoughts when he heard Della start crying. He made his way over to see that she had accidentally hit herself in the head with the wooden block. Her forehead had a nice red mark on it.

“It’s okay baby.” David said as he picked her up, he made his way over to Matteo, who gladly took Della and handed Micah over to him. They had their favorites when they got hurt, Della loved Matteo. Micah readjusted to being in David’s arms and rested his head on his shoulder. “You sleepy buddy?” he asked and Micah nodded. David made his way back over to the couch where he was before and adjusted Micah on his laps so they he could slowly fall asleep. Della had situated herself on Matteo nicely and stopped crying. Her eyes were still puffy and filled with tears,but the screaming had stopped, and David was happy she was so content him Matteo’s arms. Despite the little incident, the twins had the best 1st birthday.

~/~/~/~

Once the party ended, and the twins were in bed, Matteo and David practically fell into bed as well. Today was exhausting, but in the best way possible. David couldn’t imagine if they actually had a huge 1st birthday. He probably would have fallen asleep during the party.

“I can’t believe they’re already 1.” Matteo had said into the darkness.

“Me either. I feel like we just decided to have kids like yesterday.” David said and Matteo laughed.

“Who do you think they’re gonna be when they grow up?” Matteo asked after a moment.

“I have no idea.” David said honestly. “I just hope they’re kind, and happy. I want to give them everything I never got.” He admitted.

“Those two are spoiled with love. I don’t think they’ll ever feel unwanted.” Matteo admitted and David smiled.

“Good.” David said.

“Do you want any more?” Matteo asked, and that kinda caught David off guard.

“I haven’t really thought about it honestly.” He admitted. “Have you?”

“Not really.” Matteo said. “I’ve been completely focused on the twins to even think about having another baby to look after.” He laughed.

“I don’t think I do, not really.” David had admitted once he thought about it.

“You happy with the two we got?” Matteo smiled.

“Yea. I think they’re pretty wonderful.” David said and he felt Matteo nod in agreement. He couldn’t wait to watch them grow up and be whoever they want to be.


End file.
